ENGLAND v PAKISTAN 1987

At Birmingham, May 25. England won by one wicket to take the Texaco series 2-1. Toss: England. There was high drama from the first over to the last, but sadly a match of such marvellous cricket was marred by ugly scenes, beyond the boundary, provoked by racial pride, racial prejudice and alcohol. Put in, with the conditions again overcast, Pakistan found themselves 0 for two after three balls from Thomas, who replaced the unfit Dilley. But Miandad was at his most brilliant, putting on 73 in 24 overs with Ramiz (72 balls, six fours) and 95 in twenty with Malik (61 balls). He had faced 128 balls for his 68 when, lashing out, he was spectacularly caught by Gower, diving far to his right; and without him, Pakistan disintegrated. Emburey took two wickets in the 45th over, two more fell in the next, and Pakistan had lost five wickets for 2 runs in eighteen deliveries. Only Imran, clubbing Thomas over the pavilion and out of the ground, and Emburey high over deep mid-wicket, prevented England's target being less than 200.

England had fielded wonderfully well and so did Pakistan. Miandad took two brilliant catches at point, the second dismissing Gatting (56 balls, six fours) in the 35th over; Malik accounted for Richards with a hard, flat throw from the square-leg boundary and came in fast from third man to run out Emburey. England had needed 63 from the last ten overs; now the target was 47 from 40 balls as DeFreitas came in. He cast caution to the wind, swinging Imran over mid-wicket for six, added three fours, and had taken 33 from 22 balls when he chopped on. Foster and Thomas had eleven balls in which to score 5, and although Foster could, should, have been run out, scampering a leg-bye to level the scores, they made it with a four through slips.